Japan posted a trade deficit of JPY 444.6 billion in August of 2018, compared to a JPY 96.8 billion surplus in the same month a year ago. It was the second straight month of trade deficit, mainly due to a surge in imports. Year-on-year, inbound shipments jumped 15.4% to JPY 7.1 trillion, after a 14.6% increase in July.
Exports grew by 6.6% to JPY 6.7 trillion, following a 3.9 percent growth in a month earlier. Considering the first eight months 2018, Japan recorded a trade gap of JPY 73.8 billion, compared to a surplus of JPY 1.5 trillion in the same period the preceding year.
